Incessant noise from Bitcoin mining operations in Hood County is causing headaches for nearby residents.
People living in the area surrounding the factory outside Granbury say steps need to be taken to reduce noise pollution that is damaging the community's quality of life.
Cheryl Shaden told NBC 5 that for the past two years she has been hearing sounds from the plant day and night from her home across the street.
“It feels like you're on a runway with jets taking off and taking off nonstop 24/7,” Shaden said. “You can hear it even inside the house. It goes through the walls and shakes the windows.”
The sound emanates from a Bitcoin mining factory operated by Las Vegas-based Marathon Digital Holdings. This data center is a network of computers that run 24/7 to generate strings of numbers to discover cryptocurrencies.
Neighbors say the exhaust fans used to cool these computers sound like a jet engine.
“Almost all of us here have headaches, hearing loss, dizziness, nausea and sleep problems,” Shaden said. “It's like being a prisoner and being subjected to interrogation tactics.”
On Wednesday, dozens of people who live in the area shared their concerns with NBC5, saying they have reported the noise to the county but no action has been taken.
Hood County Precinct 2 Commissioner Nanette Samuelson shared dozens of noise reports her office has received since at least March of last year.
He said the only action the county can take is to write a noise complaint ticket if the sound coming from the power plant exceeds 85 decibels.
Some activists said the situation shows the need to change state laws to specifically target noise pollution from cryptocurrency farms.
“They are extraordinarily exploitative. They come to places like rural Texas where there are very few restrictions,” said Jackie Sawicki, founder of the Texas Against Cryptomining Coalition.
NBC 5 took those concerns to Marathon Digital Holdings, which owns the factory.
In response, the company sent the following statement:
At Marathon Digital Holdings, we deeply value our relationships with the communities in which we live and work, and we appreciate the candid opinions shared with us over the past few weeks. In the long term, we look forward to fostering positive and mutually beneficial relationships with our neighbors. Importantly, over the next five years, we will invest $650 million in Hood County to create direct and indirect job opportunities and demand for local businesses and fund essential services. It is expected to generate $2 million in taxes per year.
Marathon recently took ownership of the Hood County site and assumed full operational management. The company was not aware of the noise problem until after purchasing and starting operations. We currently have sites operating and team members on site working to gather information and respond to the situation. We have been in close contact with Hood County residents and officials to learn more about this issue.
We also commissioned a sound investigation from a third-party organization. We believe this will give us more information to help mitigate the impacts experienced by our neighbors. If there is an issue that we can influence, we will do our best to address it. We believe that Bitcoin mining can positively change the world and our communities, and we look forward to demonstrating that commitment to Hood County.
Neighbors told NBC 5 they expect the company to take action.
“Having a radio on doesn't help. Having sleep sounds doesn't help,” Shaden says. “None of us can sleep at night.”
Samuelson said he will add a community discussion about Bitcoin noise to the agenda for the Feb. 13 Hood County Commissioners Court meeting.